Hi new friends,

I saw some Cutler-Hammer's breakers at home depot with a so called rejecting tab/limiting circuits and the people there wouldn't give me a good explanation about those. They are silver tabs, I assumed, by the name, that those breakers cannot be used normally in panels. Any input appreciated.

Whoa, no answer to this post

ED: The "electricians" on this forum are usually quick to jump on this or that wagon of the ridiculous. When it comes to truly technical questions though, they habitually lurk and drool on their wire cutters, not knowing which conductor to snip. It is a lack of myelin and synapses that causes this. These are also electrical phenomena, but at the electron microscopic level, so don't hold it against them.

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

This sounds like a tandem breaker that will only fit into a panel designed to accept them. Most manufacturers make this type of breaker. You will find them in panels that have dual capacity ratings like 20-40 or 8-16 for circuit capacity. These dual rated panels are designed to accept the tandem or half size breakers.

Esther: See just how easy that was? Let that be a lesson for you. If you want answers on this forum you often have to goad, even embarrass, the appropriate parties into divulging them!

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

Yes, especially since you weren't able to answer his question yourself...

KK: I, but for the grace of god, am not an electrician.

Esther: See how the little buggers literally boil out of the woodwork once provoked? Amazing, isn't it?

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

Holy crap you are one piece of work. What's ridiculous is the majority of your posts which are biased and belittling.
What's the matter, you loose a handyman job to a real electrician one day and now you will forever hold a grudge?

The rejection tabes are in place to prevent you from putting those breakers into a "non-CTL" panelboard. Doing so can/would exceed the maximum number of circuits or poles a panel is designed to accept.

Or instead of trying to provoke an answer yourself, just call in a professional provoker like Aaron. He really likes his job!

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Jim Luttrall
www.MrInspector.net
Allen, Texas 75002

JL: And, he is damned good at it.

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

Ok No offense to Esther with this..

But as far as the smart ass remarks made by another - Did you even think to offer to suggest that the original poster post this question in the CORRECT SECTION of the site ?
No I don't think so, as you were too busy trying to look smart by using childish tactics attacking others. It must be terrible to be so threatened by those who do know.

Had the post been placed in the electrical section rather then the
"INTRODUCTIONS BY NEW MEMBERS" it would have been addressed in a more prompt fashion.

KH: Trust me, you neither threaten nor amuse me. And, should I ever actually "attack" you, you will certainly know it.

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

Trust me - I aint worried

KH: The Apostrophe Troll will be after you, too.

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

Note: If you see those little silver tabs on the floor infront of the panel, during a pre-drywall or new construction inspection, you know to look for over loading of the panel. It happens!

BIG THANKS,

Esther

All clear as mud so far?

Prior to 1968 panels and breakers were manufactured without the rejection feature (non CTL). The rejection feature configures the panel and breakers so that the design limit of circuits can't be exceeded by adding more duplex or half wide breakers (CTL).

One example is the Cutler Hammer BR series. The panels come in 2 designs. One type is for full width single breakers only and the other can use duplex (tandem, piggyback) breakers. The panel designed for the duplex breakers has the buss slotted in the positions where the duplex breaker can be used. This can be all spaces with a circuit capacity noted as, for example, 20/40 (20 spaces, 40 circuits) or just some of the spaces, designated 30/40 (30 spaces, 40 circuits), for example.

The metal tab (in the slot that contains the buss contact) prevents the breaker from being installed on a non-slotted buss. The tab can be broken out with some effort and usually damages the housing in the process of removal. This is a type BD breaker.

A type BR duplex breaker is manufactured to allow replacements for breakers in the older panel design (non CTL type) where the circuit limiting features weren't used. These breakers will fit either the slotted or unslotted buss. The only apparent mechanism in place to try and prevent their use in the wrong place is that they are about twice the price of the breaker with the metal rejection tab.

The modification of a CTL breaker or use of non CTL breakers can result in a panel rated for 42 circuits having a total of 84 circuits installed. Yes, I've seen it at least twice.

A panel rated for 20 circuits with 20 spaces that has 10 duplex non CTL breakers installed isn't overloaded with circuits but does have equipment installed not listed for the purpose.

Other manufacturers have various methods for preventing installation of non CTL breakers in CTL panels and most are as easy to defeat as the CH BR type. Another thing to look for

BK: Informative post. Thanks.

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"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com

To clarify, that does not make it "overloaded" it simply means it has more breakers than is allowed by code and its listing and labeling.

To clarify, that does not make it "overloaded" it simply means it has more breakers than is allowed by code and its listing and labeling.

Now, I anticipate someone stating that the code allowed for 42 breakers therefore 40 breakers is not more than the code allows, except that the code only allows as many breakers in the panel as the panel is listed and labeled for - which was 20 in the case above, thus more than 20 is "more breaker than is allowed by code and its listing and labeling".

Good information in there, Bill.

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
www.AskCodeMan.com

Any pictures of these with and without the metal tab. I like to use this site for education not bickering.

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Tom Rees / A Closer Look Home Inspection / Salt Lake City, Utah

TR: So then, until you learn to distinguish between petulant quarrelling and discourse intended to persuade, you should just look at the pictures.

__________________
"What the plainspoken man lacks in subtlety he makes up in clarity." - A.D. Miller
www.texasinspector.com